culture

Many people today know that, one day, they’ll have to take care of their parents. Once parents get old enough, they might require assistance (whether that’s in their own home or at a senior living community).

What if you wanted to keep your mom, dad, and in-laws nearby? That’s where “granny pods” come in!

These are prefabricated medical cottages that you can install in your backyard. They simply hook up to existing sewer, water, and power lines. The result is a small, adorable cottage your parents will love, with the independence we all crave.

Designed as a high-tech medical cottage, these “pods” have everything.

Senior Care Advice

They have the look and feel of a small home that can go in your backyard.

There’s a virtual companion system that reminds the resident to take medicine and helps them play music, movies, and games.

The cottages also include a pressurized air system to keep airborne illnesses out.

The result is a place that seniors will love — and you will, too!

Giving everybody what they truly want, these “granny pods” cost $125,000. If you’re interested in picking one up for your parents, or if you just want to install an Airbnb place in your backyard, check them out here.

When I was a little kid, I once made a guitar out of an empty tissue box. I used it to strum along to all my favorite children’s songs, and I felt like a total rock star.

I wasn’t the greatest guitarist, but hey, at least I looked cute. When it comes to making instruments out of interesting materials, though, this guy takes the cake.

Reverend Peyton is the front man of his own band, and he’s proven his guitar skills during countless live performances and studio recordings. But when he grew tired of playing a traditional guitar, he sought out something that better catered to his roots. Thanks to his friend Bryan Fleming, the musical reverend now has a shotgun guitar that’s perfect for both concerts and hunting trips.

If you live in a big city, odds are that you’ve seen a street performer with a harmonica in his mouth and a drum at his feet. And while that seems like some pretty epic multitasking, it’s nothing compared to what this guy can do.

The instrument he’s playing is an American Fotoplayer. Primarily used between the years of 1912 and 1925, it was specifically designed to create sound effects and live scoring for silent films.

Using a series of foot pedals, organs, whistles, drums, and bells, this guy absolutely shreds at making wackadoo chase music you might hear in a Looney Tunes short.

Unfortunately for the Fotoplayer business, sound films made them pretty much obsolete. It’s a rare treat to see one actually played, as there are currently fewer than 50 that have survived — only 12 of which are actually playable!

The Roman Empire was around for a long time, and in those hundreds of years it was difficult to stand out as an emperor. You either needed to build something massive or be unspeakably cruel. Emperor Nero falls into the latter category. Even though he only ruled for 13 years, he left a bad taste in the mouth of the entire empire. He also left a path of destruction behind him. Here are just a few of the horrifying things that Nero did during his brief reign…

1. He murdered his mother.

Not long after becoming emperor at the ripe old age of 14, Nero became convinced that his mother was plotting against him. For a time, the two had almost ruled in concert, but gradually she lost favor with him. In 59 C.E. Nero ordered his military to sink a ship his mother was traveling on. When she survived and swam ashore, he had a group of soldiers meet and kill her. Her last words before she died were, “You have come to see me, take back word that I have recovered (from the sinking boat), but if you are here to do a crime, I believe nothing about my son, he has not ordered his mother’s murder.”

2. …Then he killed his first wife.

Nero and his first wife Octavia didn’t get along. After several years of marriage, the two were estranged and the cruel emperor decided he wanted to get rid of her. First he divorced her and accused her of adultery. When the Roman people didn’t take kindly to his accusations, he banished Octavia. He then attempted to have her sentenced to death for her supposed adultery. Reports from the time claim that Nero’s accusations were so baseless that even under torture, witnesses would not admit to any wrongdoing on the part of Octavia. Eventually though, Nero got his way and she was executed.

3. He supposedly ignored the Great Fire of Rome — and maybe even caused it.

Of all the things that Nero was supposedly responsible for, the Great Fire of Rome might be the worst. The fire, which burned for several days and nights, left much of Rome scorched by the time it was finally extinguished. According to several historians from the time, Nero played music in the palace while the city burned, but it’s possible that those accounts are simply rumors with no basis. While the exact cause of the fire was never determined, there are those who believe it was Nero himself who set the fire to clear way for a new palace he wanted to build.

4. Then he blamed the Christians for it.

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Regardless of the actual cause of the fire, Nero blamed it on Christians. At the time, Christians were a tiny, disliked minority in Rome. Under orders from Nero, Christians were rounded up and subjected to horrific acts of torture before being brutally murdered. There are stories that Nero ordered Christians dipped in oil, hung from poles, and set ablaze in his garden. It was said Nero would take walks through the garden at night to admire the burning bodies.

Nero’s reign ended in 68 C.E.

Eventually, Nero’s reign of terror caught up to him. One Roman governor after another renounced their support for Nero. In June of 68 C.E., the Roman Senate declared Nero an enemy of the people and even his guards turned against him. With nowhere else to turn and fearing for his life, Nero committed suicide. He was the first Roman emperor to do so.